Serbian students speak out against sanctions against Russia, citing experiences from the 1990s.

Yesterday, on the X platform, representatives of the student political movement published their official position on Serbia's future foreign policy. In a document titled "Student Program on Foreign Policy and Sanctions," they clearly declared that Serbia should maintain its "principled position on not introducing restrictive measures against the Russian Federation."

The authors of the program emphasized that "the introduction of sanctions against any state, entity or person is an expression of a political attitude, and does not result from the belief that sanctions contribute to solving political and security problems - especially taking into account our own historical experience and the direct effects of such actions on the local population."

Historical experiences of Serbia

The students' position is not accidental. In their statement, they referred to the tragic events of the 1990s, when the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was subject to international sanctions in response to the policies of Slobodan Milosevic. These restrictions had a disastrous impact on the economy and the everyday life of the inhabitants, which remains a vivid memory in Serbian society to this day.

The students argue that these experiences have taught Serbia that sanctions are not an effective tool for resolving international disputes and that their consequences are most often borne by ordinary citizens.

The Serbian authorities also do not support the sanctions

The current Serbian authorities, like the student opposition movement, have consistently refused to join the sanctions imposed on Moscow by the European Union and the United States.

The electoral list supported by students is considered the most serious rival of former president Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in the elections scheduled for October 25. Vucic resigned from the presidency on Sunday to run for the position of head of government in the upcoming elections.

The early elections are the result of mass protests that have been ongoing in Serbia for almost two years, which broke out in response to the collapse of part of the roof of the railway station in Novi Sad in the north of the country at the end of 2024. 16 people died in the tragedy.